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First London
II bodied Volvo Olympian painted in the original First Capital livery]] -bodied Dennis Trident 2 painted in the livery introduced in the early 2000s operating route 10]] First London was a bus company operating services in Greater London. It was a subsidiary of FirstGroup and operated buses under contract to Transport for London. It was formed in the late 1990s through the acquisition of three London bus operators. First London's garages were sold off between December 2007 and July 2013 with the last closing in September 2013. Company history First began bus operations in London in March 1997 when FirstGroup purchased CentreWest from its management and in 1998 Capital Citybus from Tsui Tsin-tong. Both divisions were later rebranded as First London brand, split into two areas: First London West (the former CentreWest) and First London East (the former Capital area). Local identities, such as First Challenger and First Gold Arrow were discarded in favour of the common identity. First Berkshire was also managed by First London. In December 2007 Orpington garage was sold to Metrobus,Orpington depot taken over by Metrobus busandcoach.com 24 October 2007 followed in March 2012 by Northumberland Park garage to London General.Go-Ahead Group Acquires Northumberland Park Bus Depot Go-Ahead Group 19 March 2012 In June 2013, FirstGroup sold Alperton, Greenford, Hayes, Uxbridge and Willesden Junction garages with 494 buses to Metroline (ComfortDelGro) and Atlas Road (Park Royal), Lea Interchange (Leyton) and Westbourne Park garages with 400 buses to Tower Transit (Transit Systems).FirstGroup Announces Sale of Eight London Bus Depots FirstGroup 9 April 2013Australian public transport innovator acquires first international fleet Transit Systems 9 April 2013 First London ceased operating on 27 September 2013 after its remaining contracts with Transport for London expired. First Capital East Limited Operated one bus garage in Dagenham. Dagenham (DM) Dagenham garage operated London bus routesLondon Buses route 165164, 179 , 252, 362 and 24-hour route 365 until 27 September 2013 when their contracts expired, and they passed to Stagecoach London. Bus tender results Route 179 Transport for London 31 January 2013 Tendering Results Stagecoach Bus Bus tender results Route 165 Transport for London 31 January 2013 Bus tender results Route 252 Transport for London 31 January 2013 Bus tender results Route 365/N365 Transport for London 31 January 2013 Stagecoach makes London bus tender gains with contracts for five additional routes Buspeople.co.uk February 2013 London Omnibus Traction Society Sunday 18 August History Previously operated a garage in Harold Wood which closed in 2004, and was an outstation of Dagenham. On 26 March 2011, First Capital commenced operating route 368. On 3 September 2011, First Capital commenced operating routes 608 and 648. On 21 September 2011, First Capital commenced operating routes 164 and 362 On 10 March 2012, First Capital commenced operating route 667. On 30 March 2012, the Northumberland Park allocation for route 58 was transferred. On 22 June 2013, routes 165, 193, 368, 498 plus school routes 608, 646, 648, 652, 656, 667, 679 and 686 passed to Go-Ahead London. On 17 August 2013 Essex route 265 passed to Amber Coaches.Public Transport Timetables Thurrock Council 17 August 2013 First Capital North Limited Operated one bus garage, sold to Tower Transit on 22 June 2013. Lea Interchange (LI) Lea Interchange garage in Leyton operated London bus routes 26, 30, 58, 236, 241, 308, 339, RV1, W15, 24-hour routes 25, night route N26 and school route 686. History , these buses were used on route RV1]] The garage opened in 2007 to replace the Waterden Road, Stratford garage that closed as part of the development of the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Waterden Road was opened in 1996 after a number tender wins. In 2004 the garage received Mercedes-Benz Citaro Hydrogen buses for evaluation on route 25 and subsequently on route RV1. In 2004 the garage received Mercedes-Benz Citaro Hydrogen buses for evaluation on route 25 and subsequently on route RV1. On 25 June 2011, First Capital commenced operating routes 25, 26, 30 and N26. On 17 September 2011 routes D6, D7 and D8 passed to Docklands Buses. On 21 September 2011, First Captal commenced operating route 241 On 25 February 2012, First Capital commenced operating route W14 and on 3 March 2012 route W15. On 3 March 2012, route 309 passed to CT Plus and W11 to Arriva London. On 23 March 2013, route W14 passed to Stagecoach London CentreWest London Buses Limited Operated seven bus garages. In June 2013 Alperton, Greenford, Hayes, Uxbridge and Willesden Junction were sold to Metroline and Atlas Road and Westbourne Park to Tower Transit. Atlas Road (AS) -bodied Volvo B7TL on route 31]] Atlas Road garage in Park Royal operated London bus routes 28, 31, 328, 24-hour route 266 and night routes N28 and N31. History On 1 October 2011 this depot opened when part of Westbourne Park depot was closed to make way for Crossrail construction with operation of routes 28, 31, 328, N28 and N31 transferred. Atlas Road operated as an outstation for Westbourne Park, so buses were seen on Atlas Road routes and vice versa. On 19 May 2012, First London commenced operating route 266. Greenford (G) -bodied Dennis Dart on route 95]] Greenford garage operated London bus routes 92, 95, 282, E1, E3, E5, E7, E9 and E10. History Greenford bus depot is part of a local council depot and was first used in 1993 as a minibus base. The opening of Greenford garage led to the closure of Hanwell, and in 1995 the garage was operating 110 minibuses. The standard fare of vehicles in the late 1990s were Renault/Wrightbus minibuses, and Marshall minibuses but both types had a bad reputation and did not last long. In recent years the allocation has been much diverse, ranging from Marshall bodied Dennis Darts to Dennis Trident 2/Plaxton vehicles. From late 2003 until 14 March 2009 Ealing Community Transport operated London Buses route 195 from the Greenford depot using garage code EY. On 13 November 2010, route 92 was transferred to this garage. On 2 July 2011, route 105 passed to Metroline. Hayes (HS) Hayes garage operated London bus route 195, 207, 427 and night route N207. On 13 November 2010, route 195 was transferred to this garage. Alperton (ON) bodied Volvo B7TL on route 79]] Alperton garage operated London bus routes 223, 224, 245, 487 and 24-hour route 83. History It was one of three garages built by the LPTB, and the only one to survive, Alperton Garage opened in June 1939, adjacent to the Piccadilly line station of the same name, to serve the extensive local area that had built up in the mid 1930s. When it opened it had an allocation entirely of STL's which were reshuffled from Cricklewood, Hanwell, Harrow Weald, and Willesden garages. As Alperton was a new garage and had plenty of headroom it was one of the few garages able to take utility Guy Arabs, and at one stage these made up its complete allocation and lasted until 1954 when they were replaced by STLs. By 1972 with the arrival of numerous AEC MB and SM class single deck buses to operate the numerous one man operation services, and the further allocation of Daimler Fleetline DMS, parking space was becoming a problem. It therefore became necessary to park a dozen or so buses on nearby Glacier Metals' car park overnight. The garage was consequently enlarged between 1976–1978, which encompassed the adjacent former Underground substation, and the London Transport Lifts and Escalators department which had to move out to new premises. During the reconstruction works, 18 vehicles were outstationed at Stonebridge (SE). The last RT buses were transferred out in 1975, and until the beginning of the 1980s, Alperton had an entirely AEC Routemaster and Daimler Fleetline allocation. The first MCW Metrobuses arrived in 1981, and gradually replaced the DMS on all the routes, and would become the mainstay of the fleet for many years. Following the September 1982 service reductions, all the remaining RMs were transferred away to other garages, route 187 and 83 became one manned at the same time. Replacement Metrobuses were allocated to make up the allocation mainly used vehicles from Edgware (EW), Hanwell (HL), and Fulwell (FW), making the garage all Metrobus. By 1995, Alperton was doing most of the maintenance for the CentreWest operation and had also become the home of the training fleet. On 26 November 2011, route 79 passed to Metroline. On 28 April 2012, route 487 was transferred to this garage. Uxbridge (UX) painted in the final all red livery on route U5]] Uxbridge garage operated London bus routes 331, 607, A10, U1, U2, U3, U4, U5 and U10. History The original Uxbridge Garage was around half a mile out of town on the Oxford road and was built by the LGOC in 1921, but passed to Thames Valley a year later. The garage was taken back by the LGOC in 1929 to work its new local routes which were operated mainly by single deckers. An extension was added in the late 1940s and a new garage was planned, although work didn't begin until the 1980s. The new garage came into commission in late 1983 and is situated next to the underground station occupying the lower ground floor of a multi use building. In 1989 the garage began operating the U-Line network of local routes using 16 seater Mercedes Alexander midibuses (MAs) in an initiative by London Transport. The growth of use of the U-Line services over the years since 1989 has meant that larger buses have been put into service on these routes, in particular the U4 which has seen upgrades from MA's to DMLs (older Marshall versions) to the current fleet of double deck TNs. The garage also operated the busy 207 and (since 1991) the express version 607 from Uxbridge to Shepherds Bush (extended to White City Bus Station/Westfield London shopping centre since January 2009). In 1994 the garage was allocated some of London's first low-floor single decker, Dennis Lance SLF/Wright-bodied vehicles with CentreWest branding for the then operated route 222. Westbourne Park (X) on route 23]] Westbourne Park garage operated London bus routes 9 (Heritage), 70 and 24-hour routes 23 and 295. History Westbourne Park Garage was part of the re-construction programme undertaken by London Transport in the early 1980s. As was common practice at the time, the new garage replaced two older garages - the small and inadequate Middle Row (X), and the larger former trolley bus depot at Stonebridge (SE). The new garage, which opened in 1981 in Great Western Road, and is of unusual design in that it is built beneath the elevated A40 Westway, the roof of the garage being profiled to match the concrete flyover. Originally, the garage allocation consisted of AEC Routemasters, and a small number of Daimler Fleetlines to B20 "quiet" specification for Route 18. These were supplemented in 1983 by a number of Leyland Titan of T class for comparative trials. When privatised Westbourne Park operated two routes operated by AEC Routemasters, 7 and 23. These were replaced by Dennis Trident 2s in July 2004 and September 2003 respectively. In November 2005 Westbourne Park commenced operating 9 Heritage with Routemasters. In November 2004 First London commenced operating route 414. This passed to Abellio London in 2009.Bus tender results Route 414 Transport for London 13 May 2009 In February 2003 First CentreWest commenced operating route 10. This passed to Transdev London in January 2010. In 2006, an arson attack destroyed around ten buses. In June 2007 routes 7 and N7 passed to Metroline. On 23 June 2012, First London commenced operating route 70. Willesden Junction (WJ) Willesden Junction garage operated London bus routes 18, 187, 206, 226, 228 and night route N18. History On 13 November 2010, N18 was transferred to this garage. On 28 April 2012, First London commenced operating route 206. See also *List of bus operators of the United Kingdom References External links *First London Category:First Group bus operators in England Category:Former bus operators in England Category:London bus operators